Timetable for signing draft picks explained

IRVING – With training camp starting one week early because of their participation in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio, the Cowboys will be forced to start contract talks with their draft picks sooner than normal.

The negative to this is that Dallas won’t have many deals made by other clubs to work off of when it begins negotiations with first-round draft pick Dez Bryant, executive vice president Stephen Jones said.

“We usually have a lot more contracts done to go off of, but that won’t be the case this year because we will be one of the first to go to camp,” Jones said. “That will make it more challenging.

“The most difficult one will be Dez, more than likely. The rest of (the draft picks) should fall into place. First-round ones are always the hardest. It never changes. It’s more moving parts with a No. 1 pick’s contract.”

Jones said he expects to begin contract talks in mid-July. The club reports to San Antonio for training camp on July 23.

The Cowboys traded up three picks to select Bryant, a wide receiver from Oklahoma State, at No. 24 overall. Bryant said he expects to have a deal done before camp starts.

It should help that his agent, Eugene Parker, has represented three recent No. 1 picks by Dallas: Anthony Spencer, Felix Jones and Jenkins.

“(Bryant) doesn’t need to miss anything, but I would say that about any pick,” Stephen Jones said. “No pick needs to miss anything if they want to contribute as a rookie.”